Bukavu, Goma, Butembo. Monday, September 1, 2026, 7:30 AM. Under the rain or amidst fear, the children of Kivu have returned to school. The Congolese government confirmed the launch of the 2026-2027 school year across the entire national territory, including the provinces threatened by conflict. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In North Kivu 2, in Butembo, provincial director Alexis Kahindo Kighombwe reaffirmed to local media: \u00abEbola must not deprive children of their right to education\u00bb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This year in Kivu, returning to school carries a distinct weight. The resurgence of the Ebola virus disease raises deep concern. In state-approved Catholic schools, such as those in Bunia and Butembo, preventive measures are clearly visible: mandatory handwashing, temperature checks at the entrance, and awareness activities supported by UNPC and SDC-Switzerland. Yet the other virus is war. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In South Kivu, provincial director L\u00e9on Tosweswe confirmed the resumption of classes in Bukavu this Tuesday, despite reported clashes in Fizi and Kalehe between the FARDC and the M23, as he stated in an interview. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00abAll teachers will be present\u00bb, he assured. On the ground, however, the North Kivu 2 teachers’ union coalition threatens to withhold services, denouncing insecurity and the absence of health insurance for teachers in Beni and Lubero.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is the most poignant image of this back-to-school season in Kivu. Three weeks before classes began, as La Prunelle RDC had already highlighted, displaced families fleeing Walungu, Kalehe, and the Bukavu hills shared that they lacked even the funds to purchase a single notebook. <\/p>\n\n\n\n